You Go
by LaptopWriter22
Summary: If she had just let him go along, he could have changed the outcome of the day. He could have saved Phineas. Now, there was something he wasn't asking her. A little dark chocolate oneshot, based on "Isabella's Birthday."


You Go-A Phineas and Ferb Fanfiction

* * *

**_Disclaimer: If I owned Phineas and Ferb, these little sad interludes would really happen between some episodes that seem way too full of Phinbella fluff._**

* * *

He stood just inside her doorframe, black and white tennis shoe hesitantly rubbing against the top step. He didn't knock; he knew she would be at the door too quickly for him to bother. Sure enough, she almost fell out of the back door, pinkish dress blazing against the light yellow house, blue eyes half-filled with tears, expectant of the worst.

She grabbed his arm. "What happened?" she demanded breathlessly. "Did they say he was going to recover? He has to recover." He shifted uncomfortably, avoiding her gaze. He braced himself for the pain that would come from just saying the words, and then the agony that would follow from seeing her face.

"Phineas is still unresponsive." The words made the girl slump against the doorway, but he wasn't done yet. "They're moving him to hospice."

Her face went white, and the blue eyes made a painful contrast. There was complete silence for a minute.

"It's my fault," she whispered, as he'd known she would. "I didn't want you to go along. You could have kept Phineas conscious long enough for the paramedics to arrive. If I'd let you go along…" She burst into tears.

"Don't do that," he said firmly. "My presence may not have helped at all. It's not your fault."

"I don't care whose fault it is! The whole world will be empty and useless without Phineas. It hurts, Ferb, and I can't stand it," Isabella screamed, her whole body shaking.

He reached up and steadied her with one hand. The other was holding a crumpled sheet of paper behind his back. She noticed and came down a step.

"I know it hurts," he tried to answer steadily, but his breath caught in his throat. "And I can't help, because I feel it too!" His voice rose, the words tumbling over themselves.

They hugged each other fiercely. Isabella's gasps and sobs overpowered any noise Ferb was making, but he held her up as her body crumbled. The two created an impression of a wild blue wave crashing against an immovable boulder. Isabella didn't look up until Ferb's piece of paper rustled against her back.

"We really need each other now, Ferb." She looked behind her. "What's in your hand?" He dropped his arms hastily and shook his head. "Come on. What is it?" Isabella asked.

His voice sounded low and husky, a sign that he had been crying, or choking back tears while he held her. "Something you shouldn't see."

He was going to tear the paper up; she fought him until she had it in her hands. Silently acknowledging her choice to read the note, he stood back, hanging his head. She lowered her eyes to the sheet of paper, taking note of the date neatly printed at the top: July 12, her birthday. Yesterday. The day Phineas Flynn had been hit by a drunk driver on the way home from the ice cream shop with her. He'd been saying something about butterflies. And yards filled with confetti. In short, he'd been deviating from what she wanted to hear again.

She hadn't been listening; her head was off somewhere in the butterflies. She had a bad habit of retreating into her own little world whenever Phineas talked about anything other than her. There, she made Phineas spout idiotic romanticisms, circumnavigate the globe, and bring her butterflies. He always gave her butterflies.

So, she'd been there, and Phineas had been joyously reliving the day. Neither of the two distracted children had seen or heard anything careening their way. Until the car hit. She'd seen it crash into Phineas, back up, and swerve crazily away.

She'd ended up in a heap on the sidewalk, and as passersby stopped and pulled her up, she'd found that the name she'd been murmuring was, _"Ferb…"_

She hadn't wanted him along. He would have seen the car. He could have at least helped Phineas after the car had hit. Isabella wiped a tear away and began to read her friend's note.

_Dear Isabella,_

_I remember the last time I went along with you and Phineas. It was to the __Stumbleberry Finkbat movie, which I happen to be a bigger fan of than Phineas. You seemed suddenly interested in the movie, and you were annoyed when I came along._

_ When we got home and Phineas and I were finally separated from each other, you pulled me aside and said quite clearly that you hadn't wanted me along then. I finally got the point, like you wanted me to._

_ So, this time, I pulled away and said, "You two go." You were pleased with me. I can tell you, I wasn't. I watched you walk away, and I was a little hurt. You're my friend, too, aren't you? You're my very good friend. Maybe I want to spend time alone with you on your birthday. I know, I'm not supposed to wish on someone else's birthday, but that was what I wanted._

_ I don't know, Isabella. Really, I'm confused about you in general. I'm not sure why, exactly. All I know is that I want you to stop brushing me off, and not just because you're my friend, too._

She looked up at him for an explanation. The writing had ended. She saw in his face that he'd been too afraid to go on.

"I guess I'm a jerk, coming here with this note while my brother is dying," he said in a bitter tone.

"Why did you?" she asked hesitantly.

"I hoped you wouldn't take interest in it," he replied. "And yet, I hoped you would. I always wished you'd come across it somehow, though I didn't write it for you to see. I wasn't really sure what to do." He shook his head; he was talking too much now. Acute grief always made Ferb ramble on. The fact was little known, however, because grief was rare in that neighborhood, especially in summertime.

She cut him off by grabbing his hand; she understood. "Like I said, we need each other," she said softly.

"You mean it?" he asked.

"Of course. I need you, too." She was crying again, repeating Phineas' name, and he crushed her against him.

"Isa! Come quickly," Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro called through the screen door.

"Mom? What is it?" Isabella turned and opened the door, sticking her head inside.

"Linda just called. Phineas is awake and stable!"

"What?" Isabella yelled back unbelievingly. Ferb raised his head, color rushing back into what had been an ashen face.

"How did it happen? What went right?" Isabella cried.

"I don't know. But they said it was nothing short of a miracle. We're going along with his family to see him; hurry!" Isabella's mother shouted back.

Isabella and Ferb broke away from each other. Her face was lit up at first, but then she met his eyes. She stared at the ground, twirling a piece of hair. He swallowed, looking relieved and yet regretful at the same time.

Both of them knew what would happen. It couldn't be helped. Phineas was awake. His friend had to go back and wait a little more for him to wake up in another sort of way. So, he stepped back and uttered the two words that already described his friendship with the girl across the street.

"You go." She descended the steps, and turned to look back at him one last time.

Then, she went.

* * *

_**What can I say? I missed writing Ferbella, so this was written on a whim. See you soon-Laptop**_


End file.
